Isolated polypeptides and polynucleotides useful for increasing nitrogen use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, yield and biomass in plants

Abstract

Provided are methods of increasing nitrogen use efficiency, fertilizer use efficiency, yield, growth rate, vigor, biomass, oil content and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant by expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2560, 2557, 184, 238, 188, 154-156, 158-161, 163-183, 185-187, 189-197, 200-237, 239-264, 266-269, 1351, 1365-1425, 1429-1457, 1459, 1461-1730, 1735, 1739-2397, 2533-2541, 2544-2556, 2558, 2559, 2561-2562 or 2563. Also provided are isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides which can be used to increase nitrogen use efficiency, fertilizer use efficiency, yield, growth rate, vigor, biomass, oil content and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant of a plant.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of increasing nitrogen use efficiency, fertilizer use efficiency, yield, growth rate, vigor, biomass, and/or tolerance to nitrogen deficiency of a plant as compared to a native plant of the same species, which is grown under the same growth conditions, the method comprising:
 (a) over-expressing within the plant a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to the full-length amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO: 187 as compared to a native plant which is grown under the same growth conditions, and 
 (b) selecting a plant over-expressing said polypeptide for an increased nitrogen use efficiency, an increased fertilizer use efficiency, an increased yield, an increased growth rate, an increased vigor, an increased biomass, and/or an increased tolerance to nitrogen deficiency as compared to the native plant of the same species, which is grown under the same growth conditions, 
 thereby increasing the nitrogen use efficiency, fertilizer use efficiency, yield, growth rate, vigor, biomass, and/or tolerance to nitrogen deficiency of the plant as compared to the native plant of the same species, which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) isolating a regenerable portion from plants selected according to the method of  claim 1 , to thereby obtain an isolated regenerable portion, and; 
 (b) regenerating plants from said isolated regenerable portion. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence as set forth by SEQ ID NO: 187. 
     
     
       4. A method of increasing nitrogen use efficiency, fertilizer use efficiency, yield, growth rate, vigor, biomass, and/or tolerance to nitrogen deficiency of a plant as compared to a native plant of the same species, which is grown under the same growth conditions, the method comprising:
 (a) over-expressing within the plant a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 99% identical to the full-length amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO: 187 or 1678, as compared to a native plant which is grown under the same growth conditions, and 
 (b) selecting a plant over-expressing said polypeptide for an increased nitrogen use efficiency, an increased fertilizer use efficiency, an increased yield, an increased growth rate, an increased vigor, an increased biomass, and/or an increased tolerance to nitrogen deficiency as compared to the native plant of the same species, which is grown under the same growth conditions, 
 thereby increasing the nitrogen use efficiency, fertilizer use efficiency, yield, growth rate, vigor, biomass, and/or tolerance to nitrogen deficiency of the plant as compared to the native plant of the same species, which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is expressed from a nucleic acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2445. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said polypeptide is expressed from a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 2445, 50 and 614. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said amino acid sequence is set forth by SEQ ID NO: 187 or 1678. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant over-expressing said polypeptide under nitrogen deficiency. 
     
     
       9. A method of growing a crop, comprising growing a crop plant over-expressing a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to the full length amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO: 187 as compared to a native plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, wherein said crop plant is derived from parent plants that over-express said polypeptide and that have been selected for at least one trait selected from the group consisting of: an increased nitrogen use efficiency, an increased fertilizer use efficiency, an increased yield, an increased growth rate, an increased vigor, an increased biomass, and an increased tolerance to nitrogen deficiency, as compared to the native plant of the same species, which is grown under the same growth conditions, and said crop plant over-expressing said polypeptide has said increased nitrogen use efficiency, said increased fertilizer use efficiency, said increased yield, said increased growth rate, said increased vigor, said increased biomass, and/or said increased tolerance to nitrogen deficiency, thereby growing the crop. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein said polypeptide is set forth by SEQ ID NO: 187. 
     
     
       11. A method of growing a crop, comprising growing a crop plant over-expressing a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 99% identical to the full length amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO: 187 or 1678 as compared to a native plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, wherein said crop plant is derived from parent plants that over-express said polypeptide and that have been selected for at least one trait selected from the group consisting of: an increased nitrogen use efficiency, an increased fertilizer use efficiency, an increased yield, an increased growth rate, an increased vigor, an increased biomass, and an increased tolerance to nitrogen deficiency, as compared to the native plant of the same species, which is grown under the same growth conditions, and said crop plant over-expressing said polypeptide has said increased nitrogen use efficiency, said increased fertilizer use efficiency, said increased yield, said increased growth rate, said increased vigor, said increased biomass, and/or said increased tolerance to nitrogen deficiency, thereby growing the crop. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein said polypeptide is set forth by SEQ ID NO: 187 or 1678.